2010 Magazine's Albums Of The Year Thread For Posting Lists and Discussion

i'm surprised at kelis being the token r&b diva (not that those songs are r&b but ygm)

Nah they've been pro-Kelis since the first album, she is very much the r&b diva it's okay for indie kids to like. Janelle Monae too now, but she's almost as much rock as she is r&b (in the way that, say, Prince was).

surprised at anyone remembering that knife opera (and choosing to rep for it in the tracks list?!)

I've gone back to it and it's growing on me the second time around. But yeah, opting for individual tracks off it is a bit of a cop out.

the only actual r&b song in the list is, like, "whip my hair" anyway

we know that "call me when you're sober" is based around an evanescence sample, of all things, right? it's such an amazing track though not as stupendous as "poetry" imo

the only actual r&b song in the list is, like, "whip my hair" anyway

Come on, Tightrope totally counts, it's virtually a Rich Harrison production.

I don't like the Foals record but it's obviously in their demographic, but it's just utterly incomprehensible to me that anyone could make a credible argument for XXXO being the second-best song of the year.

yeah "tightrope" is obv retro-r&b, i should've put modern r&b

prefer 'seeds' to 'colouring of pigeons' but i will probably like the remixes more

Zola Jesus: cool name, unfuckingbelievably boring

Eh, 'I Can't Stand' is one of the stand-out gloom anthems for these miserable times imo.

Agree with blueski re. 'Seeds' too.

I'm kind of curious now to see if Paul Weller makes *any* US lists...

The guy is a total pissflap, I'd be pleased not to see his name much anywhere

Let me guess which country you're from...

First time in years that I haven't heard the NME's top single/track. Listening now. it just sounds like one of Bloc Party's big, moody, faintly electronic numbers. Is acclaim for Foals (number one album in The Fly) the manifestation of a desperate desire for a 20something Radiohead?

people actually listen to more of bloc party than banquet? guys are definition one hit wonders, the rest of their songs have zero imagination.

same applies to kaiser chiefs, who apparently are (for whatever reason) still popular

Let me guess which country you're from...

The US actually, I just read a lot of brit mags at the bookstore...the current or last NME in which he poses upon the cover with beefy forearms calling UK to a revolution (headed under him, of course) made me want to gag the guy.

also uk-born insults are so much funner than commonalities here like "you fucking douchebag" and "dumbass bitch" and such

There may be some truth to that, but between "pissflap" and buying NME, I think you've lost your US citizenship.

I'm just fascinated by the (apparent) fact that everyone in the UK hates him and nobody in the US knows him, other than weirdo Jam fans and the like. He probably should have released the album under an alias that implied that David Bowie was behind the whole thing...

Anyway, I'm pleasantly surprised to see it popping up on year end lists, though from my cramped perspective I don't know if it's happening for good or for bad reasons.

Nice to see Field Music at least getting a few scraps of recognition on these lists.

most of my disgruntle stems from the fact that kevin shields, when he should be developing that new album in promise for over 20 years, was caught as the guitarist for weller's nme concert in which he was hailed a "godlike genius"

Bloc Party's best moment was 'Like Eating Glass'

Can't say I'm on board with NME's list the way I am to a degree with the album list. Thought that 'Tightrope' would win tbh.

Like 'Spanish Sahara' and could make the lower reaches of my singles list but is a bit of an odd #1, in fact it's the first time since 2002 that the track of the year hasn't been a nailed on indie disco floorfiller, though probably do alright in those stakes.

Thinking about it every NME track of the year back to Bitter Sweet Symphony would do a pretty good job at an indie(ish) disco, even Foals and Doves.

10. The Fall, 'Bury Pts 2+4'
9. Zola Jesus, 'Night'
8. Grinderman, 'Heathen Child'
4. Kanye West, 'Power'
3. Janelle Monae, 'Tightrope'
2. MIA, 'XXXO'

will rep for these in the top ten, but MIA belongs much lower

1. Foals, 'Spanish Sahara'

looooooool

http://www.factmag.com/2010/11/30/40-best-albums-of-2010-40-31/

FACT are counting down their list

It's definitely more interesting than the other lists so far

i always love fact's year (or decade)-end lists.

hm. i've got the disc they list at no. 38, but i don't think i've ever listened to it! must investigate.

The LA Vampires Meets Zola Jesus sounds interesting.

i love the idea; i'm not as sold on the execution (tbf, i've only heard bits-and-pieces).

Just acquired the Zola Jesus/LA Vampires thing on the strength of the blurb, liking it so far. I always find something new from Fact's lists.

Not sure I was all that taken with the 'No No No' cover, but I enjoyed it on the whole.

Definitely wanna hear that Dylan Ettinger. Ooh, it's probably on eMusic amirite?

y

Yay!

Yeah, FACT's lists are always great and loaded with new discoveries for me. "Spanish Sahara" is a great great song you fools. But I don't think it would climb my top ten.

That Fact list is great - I thought I had been keeping up with new releases to some degree, but I hadn't even heard of half the albums there. Just added a bunch to my Spotify "to listen" playlist.

First listens to Dylan Ettinger and Zola Jesus/LA Vampires are positive, though I'm not sure either is bringing much new to the party.

emusic link on that dylan ettinger disc.

damn i totally thought that foals had gone the way of the klaxons & shit

This was a slightly different way of doing things;

http://thefourohfive.com/articles/4602

The 405s 45 favourite EPs of the year

1. Zola Jesus - 'Stridulum II'
2. Hold Your Horse It - 'Rammin' It Home'
3. Girls - 'Broken Dreams Club'
4. Stagecoach - 'Crash My Ride'
5. Dad Rocks! - 'Digital Age'
6. Tall Ships - 'There Is Nothing But Chemistry Here'
7. Islet - 'Wimmy'
8. Islet - 'Celebrate This Place'
9. Summer Camp - 'Young'
10. Egyptian Hip Hop - 'Some Reptiles Grew Wings'
11. Zola Jesus & LA Vampires - 'LA Vampires Meets Zola Jesus '
12. Botany - 'Feeling Today'
13. Wild Nothing - 'Golden Haze'
14. Jonquil - 'One Hundred Suns'
15. Selebrities - 'Ladies Man Effect'
16. El Guincho - 'Piratas De Sudamerica'
17. Megafaun - 'Heretofore EP'
18. Sufjan Stevens - 'All Delighted People'
19. James Blake - 'Klavierwerke'
20. Guards - 'Guards'
21. Museum of Bellas Artes - 'Days Ahead'
22. Tubelord - 'Tezcatlipoca'
23. Twin Sister - 'Color Your Life'
24. Gallops - 'Gallops'
25. Girls Names - 'Don't Let Me In'
26. Spectrals - 'Extended Play'
27. Tanlines - 'Settings'
28. Dirty Projectors & Bjork - 'Mount Wittenberg Orca'
29. The James Cleaver Quintet - 'Ten Stage of A Make Up'
30. Flying Lotus - 'Pattern + Gridworld'
31. Chad Valley - 'Chad Valley'
32. Owen Pallet - 'Swedish Love Story'
33. British Sea Power - 'Zeus '
34. Memoryhouse - 'The Years'
35. Becoming Real - 'Spectre'
36. Seams - 'Tourist EP'
37. Ursine Vulpine - 'Fenrir'
38. Flats - 'EP2'
39. A Sunny Day in Glasgow - 'Nitetime Rainbows'
40. Holy Fuck - '+Ghost'
41. Active Child - 'Curtis Lane'
42. James Blake - 'CYMK'
43. Monzano - 'Apple Handsome'
44. Balam Acab - 'See Birds'
45. Los Campesinos! - 'All's Well That Ends'

Everyone is forgetting ROMANCE IS BORING :(

NPR alt-Latin top 10 albums

http://www.npr.org/blogs/altlatino/2010/12/01/131593815/alt-latino-best-albums-2010

Everyone is forgetting ROMANCE IS BORING

All we can do is try, goddamn it. All we can do is try.

That FACT list is amazing.

NPR has multiple lists here

http://www.npr.org/series/131394847/the-best-music-of-2010

They like Arcade Fire best but they also like my Malian fave singer Khaira Arby

Oops, actually Arcade Fire is just one of the 50 faves of NPR staff. There's also a best jazz and best classical list.

Recommended by NPR Music Staff

Thomas Ades, Tevot

Agalloch, Marrow Of The Spirit

Aloe Blacc, Good Things

Khaira Arby, Timbuktu Tarab

Arcade Fire, The Suburbs

Erykah Badu, New Amerykah, Pt. 2: Return Of The Ankh

Big Boi, Sir Lucious Leftfoot...The Son Of Chico Dusty

The Black Keys, Brothers

Brooklyn Rider, Dominant Curve

Buke & Gass, Riposte

Carolina Chocolate Drops, Genuine Negro Jig

Regina Carter, Reverse Thread

Chancha Via Circuito, Rio Arriba

Deerhunter, Halcyon Digest

Issac Delgado, Love

Joyce DiDonato, Rossini: Colbran, The Muse

Flying Lotus, Cosmogramma

Four Tet, There Is Love In You

Vittorio Grigolo, The Italian Tenor

Gyptian, Hold You

Hilary Hahn, Higdon & Tchaikovsky: Violin Concertos

Mary Halvorson Quintet, Saturn Sings

Rita Indiana, El Juidero

Jamey Johnson, The Guitar Song

Jonsi, Go

Seu Jorge And Almaz, Seu Jorge And Almaz

King Sunny Ade, Baba Mo Tunde

Ray LaMontagne And The Pariah Dogs, God Willin' And The Creek Don't Rise

LCD Soundsystem, This Is Happening

Lower Dens, Twin Hand Movement

Alexander Melnikov, Shostakovich

Janelle Monae, The ArchAndroid

Jason Moran, Ten

Carla Morrison, Mientras Tu Dormias

The National, High Violet

Owen Pallett, Heartland

Sondra Radvanovsky, Verdi Arias

Josh Ritter, So Runs The World Away

Robyn, Body Talk

Kermit Ruffins, Happy Talk

Christian Scott, Yesterday You Said Tomorrow

Gil Scott-Heron, I'm New Here

Sleigh Bells, Treats

Esperanza Spalding, Chamber Music Society

Mavis Staples, You Are Not Alone

Sufjan Stevens, The Age Of Adz

The Tallest Man On Earth, The Wild Hunt

Titus Andronicus, The Monitor

Sharon Van Etten, Epic

Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

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that Zola Jesus EP was just not that good.

A few EPs that 405 missed (a couple of which were maybe marketed as "albums," but they're 25 minutes or less, so they qualify.)

Art Museums – Rough Frame (Woodsit)
Chrome Dome – Chrome Dome (Lexicon Devil)
Major Lazer – Lazers Never Die EP (Interscope/Downtown/Mad Design)
The Sediment Club – The Sediment Club (Softspot)
Colt Ford – Country Is As Country Does (Average Joe’s)
Herpes – Das Kommt Von Kussen (Tapete)
Screaming Females – Singles (Don Giovanni)

that Zola Jesus EP was just not that good.

i liked her other 2010 ep better (the one with poor animals on it).

that Major Lazer EP is aggressively mediocre

also I keep forgetting to check out that Esperanza Spalding album